NEC 210.8.B exceptions to GFCI placement

[carnerro]

I reviewed the postings and did not find the exact match to my question

Would a general chemistry lab be considered an industrial establishment or industrial laboratory and would it be exempt from the requirement to place GFCI receptacles within 6' of the sink under exception #2 to 210.8.B(4) or exception 1 to 210.8.B(5).?

I always thought that the only labs where the GFCIs were required are in instruction type labs - schools and colleges, but was told recently that it is only an exception to heavy industrial production facilities.

Thanks in advance

 

[charlie b]

What do you mean by "general chemistry lab"? Is this a school or a chemical production facility? What would happen if some electrical component that was plugged into a receptacle that was within six feet of a sink had a fault, and if the GFCI tripped it out before the circuit breaker could respond? Would that result in the leakage of a gas that could threaten the health of the people nearby? That is the kind of thing being described in exception 1 to sub paragraph (5).

 

[carnerro]

What I mean by "general chemistry lab" is that it is a lab affiliated or located in a commercial research facility or a pharmaceutical facility. It may be a bio-hazard research lab or something similar. It does not have any heavy moving machinery that is connected to the bench-top receptacles.

I would like to avoid placing the GFCI protected receptacles in these labs based on the exception 1 to sub. par. 5. I believe your answer is that I can do that.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I think you have to determine if the hazard is greater not having a gfci then it is if there were a gfci. If the experiments cannot lose power and the lose of power would cause danger to personnel then I would say not needed. I think this may be an AHJ call or they may need to locate the receptacles further from the sinks.